Clasp



Patented Dec. 15, 1942 UNiTED starts eA aNT OFFlG-E CLASP Paul Kupfermann, New York, and Alexander G. ParlinLFreepoit, N. Y., assign'orsto William H." Meincke, 'White Plains, N. Y. Application January. 30, 1941, Serial No. 376,562

1 Claim.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in clasps or the like for receptacles and in particular it pertains to clasps for securing said receptacles in their closed position.

The device herein illustrated is an improvement over that illustrated in Patent No. 2,197,053 issued April 16, 1940, to William H.- Meincke.

In the accompanying drawing the invention has been illustrated in connection with a receptacle of the cigarette case type to which it particularly lends itself, but it is to be understood that it is capable of use in connection with receptacles of other types in which there are two hingedly connected members.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel means by which a receptacle may be opened by either hand without interference upon the part of the thumb or finger employed to operate the clasp to release the same.

It is a further object of the invention so to construct the device that regardless of which hand may be employed to open the receptacle, the outer hinged member thereof will be free to move to the open position.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the nature thereof is better understood and reference will now be had to the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a view in elevation partly in section illustrating a receptacle employing a clasp constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 is a view in elevation taken at right angles to Figure 1 showing a receptacle in open position,

Figure 3 is a top plane view of the receptacle as illustrated in Figure 1, the view being on an enlarged scale,

Figure 4 is a detail transverse sectional view on an enlarged scale taken substantially on the line 44 of Figure 1, and;

Figure 5 is a distended perspective view of the resilient clasp members.

As heretofore stated, the receptacle is of the type of a cigarette case and comprises two hingedly connected members A and B connected together by means of a hinge C about which the members swing to their open and closed positions.

In the present embodiment of the invention, the member A carries a rigid stud In which projects inwardly from one of the side walls thereof and which has a beveled free end ll. Carried by the member A, there is a resilient member l2 which has a thumb or finger operating member 13 extending therefrom in a plane at substantially right angles to the plane of the body portion of the resilient member I2.

The resilient member I2 comprises an elon- J gated body portion which is rigidly secured by means of a rivet M to the inner face of the wall of the hingedly connected member upon which it is carried and the thumb or finger operating member [3, heretofore mentioned, projects through an elongated opening IS in said Wall to the exterior of the case. The resilient member If. is formed with an opening IB'which receives the rigid stud I0 and permits the body portion of the resilient member I2 lying snugly against the inner face of the wall upon which it is mounted.

Carried by the hingedly connected member B, there is a second resilient member 20, and this resilient member 20 is provided with a thumb or finger operating member 2| similar to the thumb or finger operating member 13, heretofore described. The rigid member 20 is rigidly secured by means of a rivet 22 to the inner face of the Wall of the second mentioned hingedly connected member by which it is carried and its thumb or finger operating member 2| projects through an opening 23 in said wall to the exterior of the case.

The resilient member 20 has a laterally projecting extension 25 which has an opening 26 for the reception of the rigid stud l0, heretofore mentioned. The extension 25 is off-set as at 21 to permit the extension 25 to underlie the body portion of the resilient member [2 when the hingedly connected members are in their closed position as illustrated in Figure 4. The free end of the lateral extension 25 is curved as as 28 to permit of the lateral extension 25 freely riding the beveled end face ll of the stud l0 when the hingedly connected members are moved to their closed position.

When the hingedly connected members are in their closed position as illustrated in Figure 4, the resilient member 20 will engage the stud to 1 retain said hingedly connected members in such the resilient member 20 from the stud l0 and permit the outer hingedly connected member B "to move freely to the open position. If, on the clasp for receptacles of the type set forth which may be opened by either hand or in either posi- 1 tion of the receptacle in either hand withou-tinterfering with the free movement of the hinged member which is disposed outwardly of the hand in which the receptacle is held.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

A clasp for cases or the like having two hingedly connected members, comprising a resilient member carried by one of said hingedly connected members, a lateral extension carried by the said resilient member and projecting into the other of said hingedly connected members when they are in their closed position, said lateral extension having an opening therein, a rigid stud carried by the other of said hingedly connected members, said stud being adapted for reception in the opening in the lateral extension of'the resilient member to retain the hingedly connected members in closed position, a thumb or finger member carried by the resilient member at a point remote from the opening in the resilient member and projecting through an opening in the wall upon which it is mounted to the exterior of the hingedly connected member by which it is carried for operating the resilient 'member to disengage it from the rigid stud to permit of movement of the hingedly connected members to their open position, and separate means carried by that hingedly mounted member upon which the rigid stud is carried for moving said resilient member out of engagement with the rigid stud to permit of movement of the hingedly connected members to their open position, said last mentioned means comprising a second resilient member carried by the second mentioned hingedly connected member and having an opening therein to receive the rigid stud, and a thumb or finger member projecting through an opening to the exterior of the hingedly connected member by which it is carried. the second mentioned resilient member occupying a position between the inner face of the wall by which it is carried and the first mentioned resilient member at a point remote from the stud receiving opening when the hingedly. connected members are in their closed position.

PAUL KUPFERMANN. ALEXANDER C. PARLINI. 

